Banijay to Present Billy Crystal Prank Show at MIPCOM

Banijay Rights is heading to Cannes with the new unscripted kids’ prank show Gotcha from Billy Crystal and his company Jennilind Productions.

Banijay Rights is selling the worldwide format rights for Gotcha, which will launch this December on Nickelodeon Israel. Gotcha features a group of teens who live for pranks and devise and execute them on celebrities, innocent passersby and each other. The series will mark the official launch of Bunim/Murray Productions’ (BMP) kids’ division, BMP Kids, led by Emmy Award-winning producer Maria Pepin.

BMP Kids is currently in development with Universal Kids and Nick Jr. on several shows. In addition to Crystal and his production company, Gotcha is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World) and Nutz Productions (Greenhouse Academy).

“Comedy has been in my blood throughout my life and career,” said Crystal. “I started performing when I was a kid, and I loved playing funny practical jokes on my friends and family. Developing and producing Gotcha and helping youngsters share the gift of comedy with their peers was really appealing.”

“It’s thrilling to be able to embark on this comedic journey with Orly and all our good friends over at Nutz Productions as well as the incomparable Billy Crystal,” said Gil Goldschein, the CEO and chairman of Bunim/Murray Productions. “Comedy is a universal language—one that is needed now more than ever—and we look forward to spreading laughter around the globe.”

“Billy is a comedic legend, and it is a real honor to parlay his unique talent into a new show,” commented Orly Atlas Katz, the CEO of Ananey Communications Group, parent company of Nutz Productions. “With Bunim’s three decades of experience in unscripted television and our kids’ productions abilities, we have no doubt that this format will land well with audiences around the globe.”

“With an influx of new distribution platforms and technologies, it’s a really exciting time for Bunim/Murray to take a vested interest in the burgeoning kids’ and co-viewing television space,” remarked BMP’s Pepin. “We’re thrilled to showcase Gotcha’s immensely talented and hilarious group of young comedians as the official launching pad for BMP Kids, and we’re excited to do it in partnership with Billy Crystal and Israel’s Nutz Productions.”